Re: Free trains in Sydney on Monday

["Tezza" <tezza2000@dingoblue.net.au>]

"Peter Homann" <"peter.homann"@@prr.org.au> wrote in message
news:9c08bg$eu0@nntpa.cb.lucent.com...
| sj wrote:
| >
| > Would it be cheaper for Cityrail, State Transit and Countrylink to not
| > collect fares but somehow provide the transport from a public transport
| > levy. I do not want to suggest additional fuel levels but would that not
| > assist with the millions spent on combating fare evasion.
| >
| > Perhaps part of the registration of motor vehicles?
| >
| > Any suggestions?
| >
|
| Interesting, but most likely would never be adopted by any political
| party that wants to get re-elected!

On the contrary, I reckon there'd be plenty of votes in it.


| Would you, as a road user, be happy to pay for Joe Bloggs to go to work
| every day by train, while you never use public transport, and he never
| uses the roads (except to walk to the station)? I think not.
| I certainly wouldn't.

I would, it means there'd be a lot less cars on the road, less congestion,
less pollution, less frustration. And no-one *only* uses roads to go to the
station.


| The "savings" made in not employing revenue proection officers would be
| minimal compared to the tax-hike to run the system as "fare free".

And ticket sellers, promotions people, most of the finance people.


| Take the $2mil quoted as estimated loss of revenue from today's strike
| (figure from originally linked article).
| $2mil/day equals roughly $400mil per year in fare revenue, and that's
| only weekdays.
| Add on, say $100mil from weekend revenues, and there we have a nice
| round $500mil
| What's the pop of NSW? 5mil?
| Are you prepared to pay another $100 or so per year in tax, just so that
| CityRail is free?

$2 per week? Bloody oath I would.



| I'll bet that the population that can't get near CityRail territory would
be less than impressed,

Don't restrict it (even though CityRail services the majority of the states
population). Buses and ferries too along with Cuntrylink.


| as would the Sydney residents who don't use the trains.

When they're getting better travel times and less pollution?


| My guess is that this idea would only work in a communist environment,
| and communism is largely out of favour due to many other unpleasant side
| effects.

No it works in capitalist countries too. It will never happen here though,
as Labor or Liberal couldn't sell a free public transport service.